"Master Fu, it's an emergency." Adrien said as he ran in, stopping immediately.
Marinette froze. He was the last person she'd ever expect to see in Master Fu's dojo. Silence filled the air. He seemed equally surprised to see her there.
"A-adrien? Wh-what are you doing here?" Marinette asked him. Her head was spinning. How does he know Master Fu?
"Uh, Master Fu is my Chinese tutor. I…have a big test coming up, and I really needed to speak with him."
That's right, Marinette remembered Adrien's schedule. She knew he took Chinese lessons, she just never imagined that they were with Master Fu. What a small city, she thought.
"What about you?" he asked her.
Marinette had no idea what to say, but then she remembered the first time she ever came to Master Fu's dojo.
"I…Master Fu is the vet that healed my cat once! Yeah! I was very grateful, and now I visit him sometimes."
"I didn't know you had cat."
"Yes! A rare, hairless, flying species from the Kingdom of Achoo! But I don't have her any more, because…she flew away." Marinette knew she wasn't making any sense. Nothing about this situation made any sense at all.
"Thank you for visiting me, Marinette. I hope to see you again soon." Master Fu said relieving Marinette of this awkward situation.
"Goodbye, sir!" said Marinette as she ran out of there. She was a nervous wreck.
"That was a close one, Tikki." She said, peeking into her purse.
"You're telling me." Said Tikki, looking relieved.
"What are the odds that Master Fu is Adrien's Chinese tutor?"
"Yeah, Marinette. That sure is one big crazy coincidence." Said Tikki with a nervous laugh that Marinette didn't catch.
Back in her room, Marinette paced back and forth trying to decide how to approach Meg. While she was positive that she knew her secret, Marinette wanted to be as subtle as possible while confirming it. She'd hate to give herself away on just a gut feeling. Although, my gut is usually correct.
"Don't worry, Marinette. Everything will work out fine." Said Tikki from the desk where she was sitting and eating a cookie.
"How do you know that, Tikki?"
"Master Fu wasn't worried, so you shouldn't be either."
"I know he said to be patient, but I wish I could talk to her right now."
Marinette stopped in her tracks.
"That's it Tikki! I forgot, she gave me her phone number!" exclaimed Marinette as she whipped out her phone and quickly typed a message.
[MARINETTE] Hey, Meg! I was hoping we could talk.
She pressed send and waited for a response.
And waited.
And waited.
But the response never came.
Marinette sighed. "I guess patience is my only option now."
Marinette searched every hall at school the next day looking for Meg, but she was nowhere to be found. This worried Marinette very much. What if she tells someone? Marinette had no idea how she was going to get answers if she couldn't find the girl who had them.
She sat in Mrs. Mendeleiv's class, staring at the empty seat beside Adrien. On one hand, she was glad that seat was empty. On the other, she really hoped Meg would show up so she could finally get some answers. Where could she be? Marinette wondered. And as soon as that thought passed through her mind, the door opened and Meg snuck to her seat.
Marinette's heart started pounding as she watched Meg whisper something to Adrien. She wasn't sure if it was because she was anxious to speak to her, or anxious that Meg was the girl that Adrien was in love with. Marinette realized she hadn't actually thought about her Adrien problem since it came up. She was too busy worrying about how Meg knew her secret.
So, he's in love with someone else, she thought, finally having time to process the information. It stung…but not as much as she thought it would. That surprised her. But mostly it scared her, because she knew the reason it didn't sting quite as badly as it should have. She wished it stung more, because then maybe the thoughts creeping into her mind wouldn't be true. Marinette was afraid to believe that she had feelings for Cat Noir. She'd been in love with Adrien for so long, and she wanted to hold on to those feelings. But what was the point? He was in love with someone else, and there was nothing she could do about it. Marinette looked back at the table where Adrien and Meg were sitting, and she felt a small ache in her chest.
The bell rang, and Marinette finally had her chance to talk to Meg. She hurried towards the front of the classroom, and completely tripped when she saw Adrien grab Meg's hand. They rushed out of the classroom together as Marinette desperately tried to get back on her feet. Now is not the time! Marinette pulled herself up off of the ground and towards the door. She got to the hallway, but they were out of sight. She scanned the sea of students around her trying to see which way they went. There! She caught sight of them down the hall as they entered an otherwise empty classroom.
Marinette gulped.
In that moment she wanted to melt to the floor. It's true, she thought to herself not realizing that a tiny part of her hadn't believed what Meg told her. He's in love with someone else. She thought maybe if she kept repeating it in her mind she'd be able to wrap her head around it, but no matter how many times she thought it, it still felt like a foreign language.
Maybe this is a good thing.
Marinette was surprised at the tiny voice in her mind. She looked around as if anyone else could hear her thoughts. She'd been trying to come to terms with what she learned about Adrien, without having to think about what it meant for her. She wouldn't get to be with him—that much was obvious. But she didn't want that to mean that all of a sudden she was in love with Cat Noir. That would make him a second choice, and he deserves more than that, she thought. Marinette brushed off her thoughts while slowly walking towards the closed door. She couldn't waste any more time thinking about this right now. Her own drama would have to take a back seat to Ladybug's.
Marinette stopped a few doors down, unsure of what to do. Meg and Adrien hadn't come out of the classroom yet and Marinette didn't want to think about what could be happening on the other side of that door. They'll have to come out at some point, she reasoned. I can just pretend to be passing by.
She waited there until the door opened, and Meg came running out with Adrien calling after her. Meg looked worried, but then relieved when she saw Marinette standing there.
"Marinette, can we talk?" Meg asked her quickly.
"Meg!" she heard Adrien call.
Marinette looked over in time to see the serious look on Adrien's face. Meg didn't turn around.
What happened in there? Now Marinette did want to know what had been happening on the other side of that door.
"Yes, of course." She said, more curious than ever. She was unsure of the situation, but determined to find out. "What's up?"
"Maybe somewhere a little more…alone?" Meg was still trying to cover up some of her worry.
"Oh, um, yeah. Follow me." Marinette led her to another classroom that she knew would be empty at this time and closed the door behind them. "What was that all about?"
Meg avoided her gaze, "It was nothing."
"It didn't seem like nothing," Marinette pressed.
Meg looked her in the eye, and a sly smile crept across her lips.
"Have you thought about what I said?" she asked Marinette.
This is it, thought Marinette. Here comes the confirmation.
"You're the one he's in love with, aren't you?" Marinette asked, feeling defeated.
Confusion swept across Megs face. Then it turned to surprise. Amusement followed, along with a laugh.
"No way! No," she smiled, her expression softer now. "You're my friend Marinette, I wouldn't do that."
Marinette was relieved. This didn't fix the problem at all, but still she felt a little bit better.
Meg continued, "Have you thought about the other thing that I said?" Meg asked, raising her eyebrows.
Marinette wasn't sure how to respond. Not only had she been trying not to think about it, what if Meg hadn't actually meant what Marinette thought she meant.
"I don't know what other feelings you were talking about." She answered, hoping to get a definitive answer.
Meg didn't buy it. "C'mon, Marinette. You know exactly what other feelings I was talking about."
Marinette blinked.
Meg raised an eyebrow.
Nobody said a word.
Meg put her head back and sighed.
"Your feelings for Cat Noir." Meg said as though it were obvious. She waited for Marinette's response.
This doesn't necessarily mean she knows I'm Ladybug. A lot of girls have a crush on Cat Noir, Marinette thought. She wanted to be without a doubt, one hundred percent sure Meg knew her secret before answering. Right now she was only ninety-nine.
"What makes you think I have feelings for Cat Noir?" she asked Meg.
Meg didn't buy that either. "I know you're Ladybug, Marinette. You don't have to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about." Meg looked at her expectantly.
Marinette wasn't sure what to do next.
"You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone." Meg offered a reassuring smile.
"How do you know my secret?" Marinette asked. There were a million questions running through her mind.
"I just know things." Meg replied. "But that's not what's important right now."
Marinette was taken aback, "There's nothing more important to me than keeping my identity a secret." She told Meg with a fierce look in her eye.
Meg smiled, "I know that, Marinette. And you can trust me."
"How do I know that?"
"Well, for one thing I haven't told anyone. Not even Cat Noir."
Another surprise landed in Marinette's lap. "You know Cat Noir's identity too?"
Meg winced. "Yes. And listen, don't be mad at me, but" Meg paused, "I kind of told him that I was trying to get you to realize your feelings for him." She looked sheepish.
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
"I know, I'm sorry! I got carried away when I was telling him that I knew his identity. But he loves you so much Marinette! And you love him!"
Marinette was at a loss for words. She could not believe what was going on. Patrol was already going to be awkward later, but now it was going to be ten times that.
Meg looked at Marinette, trying to catch her eye. "You do feel it, don't you?" she asked Marinette, searching her eyes for an answer.
With everything going on, that was the last thing that was on Marinette's mind. "I have more important things to worry about right now, Meg."
"Like what?"
"Like…like my identity being at risk, and now Cat Noir's too." She answered.
Meg snorted, "You can trust me, Marinette. Nobody else knows, and nobody else will ever know. Next." Meg looked her in the eye. There was no way Marinette was getting out of this one.
"Well I have to deal with..." she couldn't think of anything to say. Her biggest problems had been Meg knowing her secret, Adrien being in love, and her unexplored feelings for Cat Noir. Two of those had already been addressed. All that was left was…
"I can't be in love with him." She said.
"Why not?"
"Because he's…" Marinette trailed off.
"Because he's what?" Meg was exasperated. "Because he's your partner? Because he's an amazing guy? Because he'd do anything for you? Because—"
"Because he's not a second choice!" Said Marinette strongly. "He deserves better than that. He deserves better than the girl who constantly rejected him, only for her to finally accept him now that it's convenient. I can't just be in love with Cat Noir all of a sudden, just because I find out that Adrien is in love with someone else! That's not fair to him." Marinette realized that she felt sad, like she was too late for her.
Meg understood her reservations. She hugged Marinette, then took a step back and held onto her shoulders, looking her in the eye.
Softly, she said, "You've had these feelings long before yesterday, Marinette. And that feeling that you have right now just proves it even more."
Meg smiled at the unsure Marinette.
"I understand how it could seem like you're making Cat Noir a second choice, but that's not the case. You loved Adrien first. You honored that love to Adrien by not allowing yourself to see your love for Cat Noir. But now you're free to let go of that love for Adrien, and let your love for Cat Noir fully come to life."
"But what if…" Marinette trailed off, looking for another excuse.
"Marinette," Meg was still holding eye contact. "Stop. Hesitating."
Marinette gasped. She knew exactly what those words meant.
Meg smiled gently, and walked towards the door. She opened it to leave, but turned around to address Marinette one last time. "Follow your heart, Marinette."
And with that, Marinette was alone with her thoughts.